Why an S and not a V?

Chúc mừng năm mới! Kung Hei Fat Choi (gōng xǐ fā cái)! We break in the new year wondering why nations wouldn't pick dragons as their astrological critter. Dennis critiques Vietnamese traditional food offerings of the period and I try not to bump the microphone.

In October 2023, was in LA with Beardsley and we stopped at Little Saigon in Westminster, California and then a few weeks later I went to Saigon proper to visit Jen and my family. Just some notes from the two trips.

We talk about lemongrass, Dennis' favourite herb and its origin and its uses. There are a lot.

It got weird going from being the hidden middle child to being the oldest. I am the oldest biological child of my parents. Like Catelyn Stark, my mom hated this adopted child, though he did earn some of it. It gets complicated when you're uprooted from the home you know, ripped away from your bio mom and siblings and get taken to a frozen land. I wasn't sure what he was up to of late, but the old man met up with him in Nam.

I never fulfilled the Viet stereotype in Canada, but I surprisingly met a number of people who did. PS - I was told viet folks will move to edmonton, calgary, saskatoon, etc. from vancouver / toronto, to escape heat from the police there

It is weird on what Vietnamese will like from outside the nation. For example, in 2023, Jen tells me the popular foreign beer of choice is...Budweiser. For Vietnamese expats (Viet Kieu), Bud was popular in the 80s and 90s. Music wise, Hotel California seems to have made a lasting impression on older Vietnamese, including making me hate the song because it was played ad nauseum during the parties my dad went to in the 80s and 90s. While drinking Bud. Also, Vietnamese have a special talent in making upbeat depressing songs into ads and dance remixes...

I've tied on a few and can count the number of blackouts I remember on one hand! PS: Redux of Season 1, Episode 7 "Slightly darker black (out)".

I used to watch professional hockey. No one in my family ever did. I don't know why or how I started, but I enjoyed it (also MLB when the Jays won back to back world series. Yes, I am a wagon hopper). The desire to watch took many blows over the years. It wasn't even because of the decline in the 90s with the VCR line or early 2010s drought (to be fair 2006 was a miracle and inspiring). I've become one of those guys who just doesn't care anymore. Ironic, because I met guys like that before and never understood why they gave it up. Now I do. P.S. - CBC f*ed up arguing over the payment for the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. That was a huge consideration in stopping watching. Idiots.

Some random notes from my 76 (actually 6, no Dennis, I'm telling the truth) trips to Vietnam. Also a way to segue into our follow up podcast series about Vietnam.

I have no rhythm, I have no melody. It wasn't for lack of trying to learn a couple of instruments when I was younger and more daring.

If you're lucky, you'll have good grandparents who spoil you. If you're luckier, they'll still be alive. Just thoughts on my dead grandparents, especially my grandma, who I actually met.

One of the Four Immortals, who's legendary battles over a beautiful princess, describes how and why Vietnam lives through a monsoon season. Wrongly called a genie (djinn) by Wikipedia, Sonny (as we inappropriately call him) is more rightly called a Saint, a chief figure in the beliefs of the Red River Delta peoples. These peoples are the ancestors of the modern Vietnamese. His daughter is of great importance too, being a ruler of one of the Four Palaces.

I lettered in high school despite only play 2 sports in grade 12, but 3 sports across all of high school. I didn't even play traditional contact sports and all I was good for, was finishing last in cross country and eating balls to the face. PS: Redux of Season 1, Episode 22 "High School Sports".

Just going over the only major sports league I still watch and how I got there with Dennis and Beardsley. Also the reason why Beardsley wanted to fight a shark in Hawaii.

Dennis and I talk about former Buon Don Elephant Races, how it would have been great with coffee (it's part of a larger coffee festival).

The first of my 76 trips (it's actually 6 with a possible 7th coming at some point. Wait, Dennis is yelling at me about something), where I met my dad's mom for the first and only time. The bro went with and he hated it. We both went again in 2013 and he still hated it, but at least I got him to eat tasty food that wasn't fried potatoes or rice with soy sauce. PS: This is a redux of Season 1, Episode 25 "Nam in 1994".

We have the super softest bachelor party ever in Panorama, BC. This was back in 2012. No strippers, plenty of beer and Krusty's dignity was forfeit. Great times.

This is a bit of rambler about the quality of Vietnamese food in Edmonton and Winnipeg.

You don't get to be my size without eaten a Saskatchewan portion's worth of animals.

The first in a series on notable Vietnamese persons. In this episode, we briefly go over (based on what Wikipedia made available): We also discuss what the French brought to the table after their conquest of Vietnam while reminiscing on the great bánh mì Dennis got from a Vietnamese food place in a Saskatoon gas station. PS: Apparently this is our 100th episode (including our old PCP and Your Internet Uncle episodes). Huge Danke to our listener in Frankfurt Am Main, Hesse, Deustchland. There might be a semi-regular listener in Ashburn, Virginia. We're grateful if you keep listening too. Off to record the next 100.